Level attachment



June 17, 1924.

L. R. EARTH LEVEL ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 22. 1923 s H w 1 z b b a Patented nine 17, 1924.

LLOYD R. EARTH, or LARU'E,'0HIO.

LEVEL l ATTACHMENT.

Application filed January 22, 1923. Serial No. 614,246.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD R. EART ,a citizen of the United States, residing at Larue, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Level Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to levels and has for its object the provision of a simple and inexpensive device by the use of which the grade of a ditch may be quickly and easily noted. The invention seeks to provide a device which may be easily secured in posi tion upon a ditch-cleaning or forming tool in such position that, when the tool is placed at the bottom of the ditch, the grade or level of the ditch will be indicated. The stated objects are attained in such a device as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ditchcleaning or forming tool having my in proved grade finder applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of the de vice removed from the ditching tool;

Fig. 3 is a'transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 indicates a ditch-forming or cleaning tool consisting of a substantially semi-cylindrical blade 2 and an arched brace 3 secured rigidly to and connecting the side edges of said blade. The arch 3 has a socket 4 extending from its apex and a handle 5 is secured in said socket.

In carrying out my invention, I employ two similar members each consisting or" a base or attaching plate 6 provided at one end with a notch 7 adapted to fit over the arch 3 of the ditch-forming tool. The attaching plates 6 are secured together at one end by a tubular rivet 8 inserted transversely therethrough, and a similar but larger rivet 9 is inserted through the plate above the notches 7 to receive a bolt 10 which is engaged in a socket provided therefor on the arch 3 or the handle socket 4 so as to secure the device to said arch and handle socket. Extending longitudinally of the upper edge of each attaching plate 6 is a semi-cylindrical holding member 11, the said members being opposed, as indicated most clearly in .Fig. ,3, whereby they together form atubular holder to receive a glass tube 12in which is a ball 13. The ends of the tube 12 mayl be closed by disks or other form of stoppers {14 which are held to the ends .of the said tube by flanges 15 formed upon theends' of the holding members 11 and crimped against the saidstoppers' 14, as will be readily unden stood. t will also be noted that the said holding members 11 are cut away in their upper portions so as to form a longitudi-' nally extending slot 16 through which the tube 12 and the ball 13 therein may be viewed.

The attaching plates 6 are secured upon the arch 3 and the handle socket 4: so that the transparenttube 12 will be parallel with the bottom of the tool or implement 2 and consequently the position of the ball 13 will always indicate whether the bottom of the ditch is horizontal or is inclined in one or the other direction. It will be readily understood that the blade 2 is somewhat elongated and when it is in use, moving along the bottom of the ditch, it will have a firm bearing therein and the user, by glancing at the indicating ball 13, will readily note whether the bottom of the ditch is level or is being formed on an incline in the proper direction. When the tool. is level, the indicator will also be level and the ball 13 will come to rest at the center of the tube 12, but as the blade is tilted in either direction, the ball will at once roll from the center toward the lower end of the transparent tube and will at once indicate to the user whether his ditch is being given the proper grade.

My device is obviously inexpensive in construction and may be easily and quickly secured in position upon the tool. The recesses or notches 7 and the tubular rivet 9 are so located that, when the notches are engaged with the arm 3 and a fastening bolt is inserted through the rivet 9, the grade finder will be secured in such position that'its upper edge or the transparent indicator tube must lie parallel with the bottom of the blade 2. The holding members 11 will protect the glass tube against breakage while at the same time their form is such that a sufficient area of the tube is exposed to permit the position of the indicator ball 13 to be easily noted at any time. The form of the device, moreover, is such that while the tube will be firmly held. it is not necessary to insert fastening devices throught the ends of the holding members and, consequently, the holding members need be only of such size that they will snugly enclose the tube. The

device is small and, when applied to the ditching tool, will not add any appreciable weight thereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A level consisting of similar attaching plates provided in their lower edges at one end with alined transverse notches to engage over the handle-attaching member of a ditching tool and provided above said notches with alined transverse openings to receive a securing bolt whereby to secure the said attaching plates together and to the handle member of a ditching tool, said plates being provided at their upper edges with semi-cylindrical holding members extending longitudinally of the upper edges of said attaching plates and having their upper central portions cut away to produce a longitudinal slot, a transparent indicator tube seated in and between said holding members, closures for the ends of said tube, the ends of the holding members being criinped against the closures to secure them against the ends of the tube, and a freely movable indicator within said tube.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LLOYD R. BARTH. [L. 5. 

